DescriptionThis, the first book in English from an authority on Sufism, Éric Geoffroy, introduces Sufism from many angles and from its origins up to the present day. Geoffroy sees Sufism as a unique lens through which we can view the spirituality that lies behind the forms of Islam. Having its source in the Koran and in the prophetic Tradition, Sufism’s goal is to deliver practitioners from the negative human passions, and the illusions, that beset them. This book covers the history of Sufism from its earliest days up until our own times, touching on the many significant people, practices, ideas, and controversies that have shaped it. It also highlights Sufism’s universal aspects, which are a powerful antidote to various fundamentalisms. Geoffroy’s special treatment of the subject balances the voices of long ago (e.g. Ibn ‘Arabī, Rūmī, Hallāj, and Ghazzālī) with many contemporary voices to cover a remarkable scope of topics essential to a full understanding of authentic Sufism. The work concludes with the prospects for contemporary Sufism and with its increasing role in the West.

AWARDS

Winner in the “Religion: Islam/Sufism” category of The USA "Best Books 2011" Awards, sponsored by USA Book News

Winner of the ForeWord Book of the Year Gold Medal in the “Social Science” category; finalist in the “History” category

This, the first book in English from an authority on Sufism, Éric Geoffroy, introduces Sufism from many angles and from its origins up to the present day. Geoffroy sees Sufism as a unique lens through which we can view the spirituality that lies behind the forms of Islam. Having its source in the Koran and in the prophetic Tradition, Sufism’s goal is to deliver practitioners from the negative human passions, and the illusions, that beset them. This book covers the history of Sufism from its earliest days up until our own times, touching on the many significant people, practices, ideas, and controversies that have shaped it. It also highlights Sufism’s universal aspects, which are a powerful antidote to various fundamentalisms. Geoffroy’s special treatment of the subject balances the voices of long ago (e.g. Ibn ‘Arabī, Rūmī, Hallāj, and Ghazzālī) with many contemporary voices to cover a remarkable scope of topics essential to a full understanding of authentic Sufism. The work concludes with the prospects for contemporary Sufism and with its increasing role in the West.

AWARDS

Winner in the “Religion: Islam/Sufism” category of The USA "Best Books 2011" Awards, sponsored by USA Book News

Winner of the ForeWord Book of the Year Gold Medal in the “Social Science” category; finalist in the “History” category

Éric Geoffroy is a scholar, translator, educator, and writer who is Professor of Islamic Studies in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Strasbourg, France. He also teaches at the Open University of Catalonia, at the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium), and at the International Institute of Islamic Thought (Paris). Dr. Geoffroy specializes in Islam and its mystical dimension, Sufism, often focusing on aspects of sainthood. Among others areas, his research also extends to comparative mysticism, and to issues of spirituality in the contemporary world (e.g. spirituality and globalization; spirituality and ecology, etc.). In addition, he is a member of an international research group on Science and Religion in Islam, through the Université Interdisciplinaire of Paris.

“In this English translation of his book, Geoffroy (Marc Bloch-Strasbourg II Univ., France) offers yet another introduction to the complex phenomenon of Sufism across space and time. He demonstrates his command of the field through the wealth of materials provided and includes many quotations from and references to key Sufi texts and thinkers.…”
—from a review by J. Hammer, George Mason University, in CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries

“Both seekers and scholars will find that this book, besides being wide-ranging and well researched, has a rare attribute: by articulating so well the disputes between the scholars of the letter of the divine Law and Sufis, and then between different currents within Sufism itself, Dr. Geoffroy has given us a book that lends itself like few others to discussion and debate. We can easily imagine lively conversations, whether in college classrooms or in readers’ living rooms, framed by the contents of this volume.”
—Roger Gaetani, co-editor of Sufism: Love and Wisdom, from the “Translator’s Foreword”